Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Concubine Tao's Misfortune

The monthly allowance of the menial maids and crones in the Xie family was not particularly high, hovering just a little over five hundred wen.

An increase of fifty wen a month meant earning nearly an extra tael of silver over the course of a year. How could anyone not be overjoyed by that?

"It's still the Mistress who truly cares for and pities us servants."

"Our Mistress is a legitimate daughter of the General's Estate; of course she wouldn't care about a tiny sum like this."

"I really don't understand why the Mistress insists on having the Eldest Miss manage the household. If the Eldest Miss keeps going like this, the entire manor is going to descend into utter chaos."

"Anyway, the Eldest Miss will be married off sooner or later, and the Mistress is the one who truly runs this household, so what is there to fear?"

"Let's just hope the Eldest Miss gets married off sooner rather than later."

"..."

Standing not far away, Madam He was so furious that steam was practically rising from the top of her head.

Ping-ge'er had saved three hundred wen a month from each old maid, but the Mistress had turned around and given these women a fifty-wen raise. Wasn't this simply using Ping-ge'er's achievements to win over popular support for herself?

The Mistress was far too scheming and calculating, actually stepping on Ping-ge'er to build her own prestige and establish her authority throughout the estate.

If word got out that Ping-ge'er was incapable of managing a household, which prominent, high-ranking aristocratic family would ever be willing to marry Ping-ge'er as their primary matron and mistress?

Wei-ge'er was still nursing his injuries and lying flat on his bed, and now Ping-ge'er's reputation was about to be completely ruined as well. Just what on earth was the Mistress trying to achieve?

She could not simply sit back and wait until things reached an irreversible state before taking action; by then, it would be far too late.

Madam He's eyes darkened as she turned and walked away.

Before long, a manservant from the outer courtyards came to Yusheng Residence to report, "Mistress, Nanny He just left the estate in person and headed straight to the apothecary..."

A faint smile surfaced on Yun Chu's face. "Bring along the chicken soup stewed at noon; we are going to Anshou Hall."

It was just about time for dinner, and dusk was beginning to descend. The courtyards had not yet lit their lanterns, but the servants bustling back and forth would all pause respectfully to call out a greeting to the Mistress.

Before long, they arrived at Anshou Hall. Two old maids kept watch at the entrance, two young maids were sweeping the courtyard, and two senior maids stood outside the main room's doorway. Peering through the lifted door curtains, one could see a couple more maids and crones waiting attentively inside.

Anshou Hall alone had over a dozen people tending to the Old Madam.

Without the actual wealth to sustain it, they still insisted on putting on such extravagant airs and displays.

Yun Chu curled the corners of her lips in a mocking arc and stepped inside.

The Old Madam sat in the primary seat, with Madam Yuan, the legal wife, seated nearby. The two of them were chatting leisurely.

"So Mother is here as well," Yun Chu said with a smile. "I only brought along a single bowl of chicken soup. Doesn't this put me in a rather difficult position?"

The Old Madam replied, "When your mother arrived, she already brought me a bowl of rock sugar bird's nest soup. I simply couldn't swallow another drop, so I had your mother finish it instead."

Tingshuang stepped forward and presented the bowl of chicken soup to Madam Yuan.

Madam Yuan took a few sips, praised the chicken soup for being rich, sweet, and simmered until wonderfully tender, and then continued, "Chu'er, how has Ping-ge'er been handling the household management these past few days? I've caught wind of some idle gossip floating around..."

"Has Mother forgotten that when I first took over the household affairs of the estate, I went through these exact same trials?" Yun Chu began. "Once Ping-ge'er becomes a primary mistress of a household, she will inevitably have to face the deliberate obstruction and difficult trials thrown by the servants sooner or later. With me here in the Xie family to prop her up and teach her step by step, what else does Mother have to worry about?"

Madam Yuan's face beamed with complete reassurance. "Jingting's greatest achievement was never placing first in the imperial examinations; it was marrying a virtuous and capable helper like you."

Yun Chu raised her gaze to look at the Old Madam. "Before long, it will be the Old Madam's birthday. This year's celebration, I plan to hand over to Ping-ge'er to organize and manage. What is the Old Madam's view on this?"

The Old Madam knitted her brows slightly. "Will Ping-ge'er be able to handle it?"

"Isn't Chu'er right here to assist?" Madam Yuan said with total confidence. "If Ping-ge'er makes any mistakes along the way, Chu'er can simply offer a word or two of guidance. Surely nothing will go wrong."

After pondering the matter for a moment, the Old Madam spoke, "Very well."

Ping-ge'er's marriage prospects were of utmost importance. If she married well, it would serve as a major pillar of support for the Xie family, so she certainly needed to learn the ropes of household management thoroughly.

Yun Chu took a sip of tea, lifted her eyes, and asked, "Old Madam, I heard from the servants that you sent some items over to Wei-ge'er's courtyard this morning?"

The Old Madam was momentarily left speechless.

Previously, she had made solemn vows that she would no longer interfere with Yun Chu's discipline of the children, yet the moment she turned around, she had essentially slapped her own face.

"Wei-ge'er has been thoroughly spoiled, and this temperament of his must be firmly reined in," Yun Chu stated calmly. "As for the items the Old Madam sent over, I will temporarily keep them in my custody. Once Wei-ge'er shows genuine improvement and corrects his faults, I will personally have them delivered back to you."

Those items were things she had previously offered as dutiful filial piety to the Old Madam; taking them back was entirely justified and proper.

The Old Madam's expression turned exceptionally unsightly.

The things sent to Wei-ge'er's place were all exceedingly rare and precious treasures, yet they had just been casually confiscated by her granddaughter-in-law like this.

As the three of them were talking, an old maid suddenly burst in from outside in a breathless panic, crying out, "Old Madam, something terrible has happened!"

Having already been suppressed and left displeased by Yun Chu, the Old Madam instantly vented her frustration on the maid, shouting angrily, "I am sitting here perfectly fine, what on earth could possibly be terrible? You have not an ounce of proper manners!"

The old maid gave herself a light slap across the mouth before hurriedly reporting, "Concubine Tao has met with a mishap! She is bleeding heavily, and this old servant has already taken it upon herself to summon a physician!"

The Old Madam sprang up abruptly from her seat. "The child is only six or seven months along; how could she start bleeding? Quick, let us go take a look!"

Yun Chu and Madam Yuan hurriedly rose to their feet as well, following closely behind as they made their way toward Concubine Tao's courtyard.

The moment the figures in charge of the household arrived, Concubine Tao's personal maid rushed forward to pay her respects. "Old Madam, Madam, Mistress, Concubine Tao began feeling unwell late last night, but it was merely some diarrhea and vomiting. Just a moment ago, she suddenly complained of sharp abdominal pain, and blood began flowing from beneath her..."

The baby was not yet due for birth; everyone present knew all too well what bleeding at this stage signified, and their expressions turned deeply grave.

While they were speaking, the physician arrived tardily, and the maid hurriedly led him inside the bedchamber to take her pulse.

Before long, the physician emerged from the room and announced, "The concubine in your honorable estate likely consumed something inappropriate, which triggered premature fetal movement. Fortunately, the amount ingested was small, and most of it was vomited out. With a dose of calming medicine and proper recuperation, the child should still be saved."

The Old Madam let out a long breath of relief.

As people grew older, they naturally delighted in having children and grandchildren swarming around their knees; the more descendants there were, the more prosperous the lineage, ensuring she would still have the face to meet her ancestors in the netherworld after her death.

Therefore, she could not tolerate any child coming to harm.

The Old Madam instructed, "Bring out everything Concubine Tao consumed today and have the physician examine them to see precisely what poisonous or incorrect food was eaten."

The maid scurried off to fetch the items, bringing forth whatever leftovers remained and listing out from memory whatever had already been consumed for the physician's inspection.

"This chicken soup..." The physician's gaze landed on the bowl with over half of the soup remaining. He dipped a finger into the liquid, tasted a tiny drop, and his expression instantly shifted dramatically. "Did she begin experiencing abdominal pain right after drinking this soup?"

The maid nodded frantically. "The concubine felt even more uncomfortable after drinking a few sips of the soup, so she set it down. Scarcely had she laid back down on the bed when the abdominal pain and bleeding started..."

"There is safflower mixed into this soup," the physician said with a heavy, grim expression. "The Old Madam would do well to investigate this thoroughly. If this happens a second time, this child will unequivocally be beyond saving."

After leaving behind a medicinal prescription, the physician packed up his medicine chest and hurried away.

The Old Madam instructed someone to slip a silver tael into the physician's hand—the implication was crystal clear, as she hoped the doctor would keep these dirty, scandalous affairs of the Xie family tightly under wraps.

Madam Yuan stepped forward, looking entirely incredulous as she murmured, "Isn't this identical to the chicken soup Chu'er sent over just a moment ago?"

The Old Madam's gaze snapped toward Yun Chu, filled with sharp doubt and scrutiny.

Yun Chu did not back down in the slightest. "This soup was indeed sent by me. One bowl was delivered to Anshou Hall, and the other bowl was sent right here to Concubine Tao."

With a dark expression, the Old Madam demanded, "The physician stated that the soup you sent contained safflower. How do you explain yourself?"

With Yun Chu continuously punishing several children over the past few days, the Old Madam had simply assumed it was for their own good and chose to turn a blind eye to it all.

Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined that Yun Chu would actually resort to making a move against an unborn child…